Tininenko, Jennifer R., 1978-
2009-01-21T00:32:26Z
2009-01-21T00:32:26Z
2008-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/8336
xiv, 111 p. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Sleep studies have rarely explored individual differences in sleep disruption and associated outcomes at early ages. In two studies, this dissertation addresses both of these limitations using actigraphy, an activity-derived assessment of sleep, to increase understanding of negative impacts of sleep on early development. Study 1 investigated sleep disruption in foster children and sleep-related treatment outcomes of the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care for Preschoolers (MTFC-P) intervention program. Study 2 explored individual differences in the associations among sleep, children's behavior, and neurohormonal activity. Four groups of participants ages 3- to 7-years-old were included in both studies: (1) Regular foster care (RFC; n=15); (2) MTFC-P intervention (TFC; n= 17); (3) Low-income community (LIC; n= 18); and 4. Middle-income community (MIC; n=29).
Results of Study 1 indicated greater sleep disruption in foster groups, as evidenced by longer sleep latencies and increased variability of sleep duration, in the TFC group than in community groups. There was also indication of a treatment effect as the TFC group slept longer than RFC and LIC groups and had earlier bedtimes, fell asleep earlier, and spent more time in bed than either community group. LIC children had marginally more active sleep than MIC children, indicating a possible role for socioeconomic status in sleep quality.
In Study 2, correlational and causal modeling approaches were used to investigate associations among sleep disruption, problem behaviors, and diurnal cortisol. Influences of foster care placement, gender, and age were also examined as potential individual difference factors. Results of mixed linear autoregressive models indicated that children were more likely to display inattentive/hyperactive behaviors after shortened sleep durations. Furthermore, at lower sleep durations, differences among care groups and genders emerged as children in foster care and males were at heightened risk for inattentive/hyperactive behavior problems. No associations between sleep and disruptive problem behaviors were found and there were few associations with morning and evening cortisol values.
Results of these studies are discussed in terms of the effectiveness of the MTFC-P program for addressing sleep problems in foster children. Additionally, clinical implications of the heightened likelihood of inattentive/hyperactive behavior problems after disrupted sleep in some children are discussed.
Adviser: Phil Fisher
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2008;
Clinical psychology
Developmental psychology
Psychobiology
Young children
Sleep disturbance
Actigraphy
Children
Foster care
Cortisol
Behavior
Sleep
Actigraphic evaluation of sleep disturbance in young children
Thesis

Piehler, Timothy Farr, 1978-
2009-02-19T01:24:32Z
2009-02-19T01:24:32Z
2008-09
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/8584
xv, 83 p. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Peer influences on adolescence substance use have been widely demonstrated. In particular, social interactions that are centered around and reinforcing of antisocial values, known as deviant peer contagion, are predictive of a variety of antisocial outcomes, including substance use. However, much less is known about the interpersonal dynamics between friends that are associated with resilience to peer contagion. Recent work has associated self-regulation with resilience to the effects of associating with deviant and substance-using peers. Limited resource models of self-regulation have proposed that social interactions may tax regulatory resources to the point that self-regulation becomes impaired. Youth with more limited regulatory resources may demonstrate increased susceptibility to influence from peers. However, in friendship interactions, self-regulatory behaviors are highly dependent on the self-regulation of the partner. Therefore, the present study examined dyadic regulation in friendship interactions consistent with the idea of a dyadic process. In addition to investigating the construct validity of dyadic regulation, it was hypothesized that dyadic regulation would moderate the impact of peer contagion on problematic substance use. Furthermore, consistent with a limited resource model, it was predicted that adolescents with declining dyadic regulation over the course of an interaction would be more susceptible to peer contagion.
Problematic substance use and interaction patterns within friendships were assessed in a sample of 711 (355 male, 356 female) ethnically diverse 16- and 17-year-old adolescents. Using videotaped observations of friendship interactions, dyadic regulation was assessed by rating responsiveness, self-focused intrusions, attention, and conversational turn-taking. Deviant peer contagion was assessed through the proportion of the interaction spent discussing deviant topics. Contrary to the hypothesized self-regulatory resilience model, those dyads that were more highly regulated while discussing deviant topics demonstrated the highest levels of problematic tobacco use. Consistent with a limited resource model of regulation, however, dyads with decreasing regulation over the course of an interaction appeared to be the most vulnerable to deviant peer contagion, demonstrating greater problematic marijuana use. These results are encouraging of further investigation in this area and may have implications for direct interventions targeting risk for substance use as well as reducing iatrogenic effects in group interventions.
Adviser: Thomas J. Dishion
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2008;
Clinical psychology
Interaction patterns
Deviant contagion
Dyadic regulation
Friendships
Peer influences
Adolescence
Substance use
Dyadic regulation and deviant contagion in adolescent friendships: Interaction patterns associated with problematic substance use
Thesis

Tipsord, Jessica M., 1980-
2010-05-10T23:42:57Z
2010-05-10T23:42:57Z
2009-09
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10357
xv, 173 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Both Buddhist scholars and psychological researchers have suggested that mindfulness practice may result in greater empathy, but previous research has found mixed results. In addition, Buddhist philosophy suggests that mindfulness should influence the perception of and felt connection to others. Little research, however, has examined such an influence. The present studies examined the effect of dispositional mindfulness, as well as short- and long-term mindfulness meditation practice, on trait and state empathy, social perception, and felt connection to others.
Study 1 manipulated mindfulness with a guided meditation CD and found that participants in this condition experienced more serenity and less negative emotion relative to control conditions. Study 1 also clarified the relationship between dispositional mindfulness (measured with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire), empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index), and felt connection (Allo-Inclusive Identity Scale). Results showed that different facets of mindfulness had different correlates. Higher observing scores were related to greater empathic concern and perspective taking; higher nonreactivity scores were related to less personal distress; and higher describing scores were associated with greater felt connection to others. Mindfulness was also associated with social perception such that higher nonreactivity scores were associated with greater ease in making emotion inferences from short video clips and higher describing scores were associated with making more mental state inferences in a modified empathic accuracy task.
In Study 2, a randomized 8-week mindfulness intervention caused increases in dispositional mindfulness, especially describing scores, relative to a waitlist control condition. The intervention also resulted in increased serenity and joy and decreased negative affect and tension. Except for changes in serenity, these changes were fully mediated by increases in dispositional mindfulness. Those in the intervention condition decreased in personal distress to others' suffering, increased in the amount of mental state inferences they made for empathic accuracy targets, and increased in their ability to make inferences at times when the targets were actually having a thought or feeling. Thus, mindfulness training not only resulted in intrapersonal changes such as greater serenity and less tension; it also increased cognitive and emotional abilities important for empathy toward other people.
Committee in charge: Bertram Malle, Co-Chairperson, Psychology;
Sanjay Srivastava, Co-Chairperson, Psychology;
Sara Hodges, Member, Psychology;
Mark Unno, Outside Member, Religious Studies
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2009;
Allo-inclusive identity
Mindfulness-based stress reduction
Mindfulness meditation
Empathy
Empathic accuracy
Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire
Stress reduction
Social psychology
Clinical psychology
Personality psychology
Quantitative psychology
Buddhism
The effects of mindfulness training and individual differences in mindfulness on social perception and empathy
Thesis

Liu, Cindy Hsin-Ju, 1979-
2009-01-14T00:55:30Z
2009-01-14T00:55:30Z
2008-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/8288
xv, 97 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Emotion experiences such as internalized distress have been described mostly in European Americans and adults in the psychological literature and less in Asian American children. Associations between emotion experience and expressivity have been established mostly through samples of European American children. Finally, the functionality of emotion experience and expressivity across cultural norms has not been examined thoroughly, especially in ethnic minority or bicultural children. This is of concern given that cultural ideals for emotion differ across cultural groups. This dissertation incorporates a cultural perspective to understanding the emotion experience while also relying on the functionalist approach as an organizing framework to understand expressivity in children from an Asian background.
This study examined 70 Chinese American and 71 European American mothers and their 5 to 7 year old children. Mother and child reports of children's internalized V experience were obtained. Observers also rated children's expressivity in a frustration- eliciting task, alone and in the presence of their mothers. The first objective of the dissertation was to characterize the emotion experiences of Chinese American and European American young children, in particular, internalized distress. The second objective of this dissertation sought to observe children's expressivity in response to a frustrating situation, with and without their mothers.
As a whole, Chinese American children experienced greater internalized distress than European American children based on mother and child reports. Contrary to hypotheses, Chinese American children were just as expressive as European American children during the frustration eliciting task, especially when mothers were present in the room. Furthermore, it appeared that European American children with greater child-reported anxiety and mother-reported depression showed less increase in their expressivity than all the other children when their mothers entered into the room. This study explored the role of culture in the socialization of emotion and the functionality of expressivity in solitary and social situations. Overall, this dissertation suggests that cultural, situational, and internal emotion experience are factors which concurrently play a role in children's emotion expressivity.
Adviser: Jeffrey Measelle
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2008;
Chinese American children
Asian Americans
Clinical psychology
Ethnic identity
Emotion
Expressivity
Emotion development
European American children
The emotion experience of Chinese American and European American children
Thesis

Murakami, Jessica L., 1980-
2012-03-28T16:43:00Z
2012-03-28T16:43:00Z
2011-09
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/12097
xvii, 93 p. : ill. (some col.)
Since Rosenzweig's "Dodo Bird Verdict" in 1936, the "common" versus "specific" factors debate has continued to polarize the field of psychotherapy. Treatment expectancy is an important but often overlooked common factor. The current study investigated the role of treatment expectancy in the Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). Four-hundred three adolescents ( M age =14.62, SD =1.56) filled out the Treatment Expectancy for Adolescents (TEA) measure prior to treatment randomization to one of four treatments: fluoxetine (FLX), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), their combination (COMB), and placebo (PBO). Adolescents randomized to CBT or COMB also filled out the CBT Rationale Acceptance and Expectation for Improvement (C-RAEI) form during their second session of CBT.
Before finding out their treatment assignments, adolescents endorsed higher treatment expectancies for COMB than CBT and medication only. Family income levels below $75,000 and higher levels of depression severity, hopelessness, and suicidality were associated with lower expectations for improvement with CBT. The presence of a comorbid anxiety disorder diagnosis was associated with lower expectations for medication without CBT. Separate random coefficients and logistic regression models identified treatment expectancy as a predictor of outcome for three primary outcome measures in TADS, irrespective of treatment assignment. Severity of depression moderated this relationship; mild to moderately depressed adolescents appeared to be more sensitive to the effects of treatment expectancy than marked to severely depressed adolescents. The opposite results were found for the self-rated outcome measure in TADS based on the C-RAIE. For marked to severely depressed adolescents assigned to CBT or COMB, acceptance of treatment rationale and expectancy for improvement were associated with treatment response.
These results suggest that treatment expectancy is an important common factor of treatment for mild to moderately depressed adolescents prior to treatment initiation, although it may be especially important for initially skeptical, marked to severely depressed adolescents to "buy in" to treatment after treatment initiation. Treatment effects were still found after controlling for the effects of treatment expectancy on outcome. It seems that both the "common" factor of treatment expectancy and the "specific" factor of treatment assignment contributed to outcome in TADS.
Committee in charge: Anne D. Simons, Chair;
Gordon Nagayama Hall, Member;
Holly Arrow, Member;
Jeffrey Todahl, Outside member
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2011;
rights_reserved
Developmental psychology
Clinical psychology
Psychology
Adolescents
Depression, Mental -- Treatment
Expectancy
Teenagers -- Mental health services
The “Ignored Common Factor”: The Role of Expectancy in the Treatment of Adolescent Depression
Role of Expectancy in the Treatment of Adolescent Depression
Thesis

Hulette, Annmarie Cholankeril
2012-02-04T00:40:22Z
2012-02-04T00:40:22Z
2011-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11929
xvii, 103 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
The purpose of this study was to investigate intergenerational relationships between trauma, dissociation, and emotion. Short and long term consequences of betrayal trauma on cognitive and emotion coping strategies in a sample of 67 mother-child dyads were explored. Group comparison, correlation, and regression strategies were used to examine relationships between the following variables: maternal and child trauma histories, maternal and child dissociation, maternal alexithymia, and child emotion coping strategies in response to distressful events.
Experiences of high betrayal trauma were found to be related to higher levels of dissociation in both children and mothers. Furthermore, mothers who experienced high betrayal trauma in childhood and were subsequently interpersonally revictimized in adulthood were shown to have higher levels of dissociation than a group of mothers who had experienced high betrayal trauma in childhood but were not revictimized in adulthood. This may indicate that dissociation from a history of childhood betrayal trauma involves a persistent unawareness of future threats in the environment. Additional evidence consistent with this hypothesis was found. Maternal revictimization status was related to child interpersonal trauma history, suggesting that a dissociative unawareness for threats may extend to children. More generally, an association was found between maternal interpersonal trauma history and child interpersonal trauma history.
Maternal dissociation was also predictive of maternal alexithymia. This relationship was examined because mothers high in alexithymia were hypothesized to display deficits in emotion socialization that could put their children at greater risk for dissociation. Evidence consistent with a relationship between maternal alexithymia and child dissociation was found. Furthermore, a significant association between maternal alexithymia level and child emotion coping strategy was revealed. Children with highly alexithymic mothers displayed higher levels of passive emotion coping strategies on a task assessing their reactions to a distressful parent-child event.
This study provides evidence that the experience of parental trauma has intergenerational effects on children. It is an important first step towards longitudinal studies that can provide additional clarification of the nature of the relationships between these variables, as well as parent-child intervention studies that may help to prevent child trauma exposure and reduce symptomatology.
Committee in charge: Jennifer Freyd, Chairperson, Psychology;
Jennifer Ablow, Member, Psychology;
Philip Fisher, Member, Psychology;
Debra Eisert, Outside Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2011;
rights_reserved
Clinical psychology
Psychology
Trauma
Emotion
Alexithymia
Psychic trauma
Dissociation (Psychology)
Intergenerational Relationships between Trauma, Dissociation, and Emotion
Thesis

Miller, Seraphine Shen, 1977-
2010-03-02T23:56:26Z
2010-03-02T23:56:26Z
2009-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10233
xiv, 144 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
This dissertation examined what may account for materialism's relations with psychosocial maladjustment (PM). Materialism is a multi-faceted construct that may differentially involve behavioral tendencies or beliefs and values. Facets of materialism involving beliefs/values are embedded in Unmitigated Self-Interest (USI), a multi-faceted worldview orientation broader than materialism. Study 1 explored whether facets of materialism had distinct patterns of correlations with different aspects of PM and whether relations between facets of materialism and aspects of PM are restricted to facets of materialism alone or are due to broader effects of USI. Study 2 examined whether facet(s) of USI beyond materialist beliefs/values were also associated with PM. Study 3 used longitudinal analyses to examine temporal relations among materialism, USI, and various aspects of PM, examining whether facets of materialism or/and USI were antecedents and/or consequents of PM.
In Study 1, undergraduate participants ( n = 839) completed measures of USI, PM indicators, and seven facets of materialism. Multiple regressions indicated that each facet of materialism demonstrated a distinct pattern of correlations with aspects of PM, suggesting that it is useful to treat each facet as a separate construct. Hierarchical regressions indicated that beyond materialist beliefs/values, USI uniquely contributed to PM. In Study 2, members of a community sample ( n =610) completed a 13-facet USI scale and various PM indicators. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that beyond materialist beliefs/values, Machiavellianism and hedonism were likely to be associated with PM.
In Study 3, members of a community sample ( n =610) completed measures of facets of materialism, USI, and PM indicators at two time points. Results indicated that relations between materialism and PM are generally bi-directional. However, somewhat more support existed for materialism as antecedent to rather than consequent of PM. Moreover, relations between materialist values/beliefs as the antecedent and PM as the consequent appeared to be partially accounted for by USI. which contributed additional predictiveness of PM. Furthermore, relations between USI and PM appeared to be unidirectional: USI was found to be the antecedent rather than the consequent of PM. Implications for future research are discussed.
Committee in charge: Gerard Saucier, Chairperson, Psychology;
Holly Arrow, Member, Psychology;
Warren Holmes, Member, Psychology;
Lynn Kahle, Outside Member, Marketing
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2009;
Materialism
Externalizing
Maladjustment
Well-being
Internalizing
Unmitigated self-interest
Clinical psychology
Personality psychology
Psychosocial maladjustment
Adjustment (Psychology)
Materialism and psychosocial maladjustment: What accounts for the relation?
Thesis

Foynes, Melissa Ming, 1982-
2011-05-06T22:53:13Z
2011-05-06T22:53:13Z
2010-09
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11153
xvi, 159 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
This dissertation involves two studies investigating the disclosure of life experiences in the context of real relationships in real time. Study 1 included 126 university students and community members. Pairs of participants who had known each other for at least three months were eligible. After participants completed a set of self- report measures, one member of the pair was randomly selected to disclose an experience he/she had not previously disclosed to the other member of the pair. A final set of self- report measures was then completed by each participant. The interaction was videotaped for coding and analyses. Using the coders' and disclosers' ratings of listeners' behaviors, we examined the impact of both verbal and nonverbal responses to disclosure and identified two modifiable behaviors (interruptions and posture) that contributed to conveying support. Results indicated that leaning backward was associated with more negative responses to disclosure and moderate levels of interruption were associated with more supportive responses to disclosure. Study 2 involved similar recruitment procedures to Study 1 and included 220 university students and community members. Pairs of participants were randomly assigned to an experimental or control condition and researchers were blind to condition. After completing a series of self-report questionnaires, the person randomly assigned to the discloser role was asked to describe an experience of mistreatment not previously disclosed to the other participant. This interaction was videotaped. Following this, participants completed post-disclosure questionnaires Then, psychoeducational materials regarding either healthy lifestyle improvements (control condition) or supportive listening techniques (experimental condition) were distributed, followed by a quiz on these materials. A second experience of mistreatment was disclosed and a final set of post-disclosure questionnaires was completed. Results indicated that the psychoeducational materials were effective in enhancing supportive responses to disclosure such that listeners in the experimental condition demonstrated significantly fewer unsupportive behaviors than listeners in the control condition. Listeners who started with high levels of unsupportive behaviors benefitted the most from the psychoeducational materials. Although there are several limitations of these studies and additional research with more diverse samples is needed, the findings represent an important preliminary step in research.
Committee in charge: Jennifer Freyd, Chairperson, Psychology;
Gordon Hall, Member, Psychology;
Sara Hodges, Member, Psychology;
Jeff Todahl, Outside Member, Counseling Psychology and Human Services
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2010;
Disclosure
Trauma
Responses to disclosure
Psychoeducation
Stressful life experiences
Social support
Social psychology
Psychology
Clinical psychology
An observational and experimental examination of responses to the disclosure of stressful life experiences in real time
Thesis

Yasui, Miwa
2009-01-15T01:31:53Z
2009-01-15T01:31:53Z
2008-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/8303
xviii, 150 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
This dissertation examined how cultural influences transmitted within the familial context impact the psychological adjustment of ethnic minority youth through the development of an observational measure of ethnic-racial socialization. Specifically, a behavioral observational paradigm and companion coding system were developed to examine ethnic-racial socialization processes among 140 American Indian, African American and European American adolescents and their families. Despite its interactional nature, to date there are no observational measures of ethnic-racial socialization, highlighting the important contributions of this study.
This study was conducted in a series of phases. Phase I consisted of measurement development through use of qualitative data. Qualitative information from cultural informants was incorporated to develop two observational paradigms (observed family discussions on Family Culture and Coping with Discrimination) and an accompanying coding system. Phase II examined the underlying factor structure of this observational measure through confirmatory and exploratory factor analytic techniques. The Discrimination Paradigm derived the ethnic-racial socialization dimensions: (a) Proactive Preparation, (b) Racial Awareness, (c) Promotion of Mistrust, and (d) Other Group Orientation. The Family Culture paradigm derived: (a) Cultural Socialization, (b) Ethnic Heritage Exploration, (c) Family Centeredness, and (d) Spiritual Involvement. In Phase III correlational analyses supported convergent and ecological validity of the observed dimensions for American Indian and African American youth, but not European American youth. Phase IV examined the mediational effects of the observed measures, suggesting that among American Indian and African American youth, observed ethnic-racial socialization is central to the relationships between family context, discrimination, ethnic identity and youth adjustment. In Phase V, moderation effects indicated that only for American Indian youth, observed ethnic-racial socialization significantly reduced the impact of discrimination on youth adjustment. Last, Phase VI analyses revealed that observed dimensions uniquely contributed to adolescent problem behavior above and beyond the effect of discrimination and familial contextual factors among American Indian and African American youth. In sum, these findings support the reliability and validity of the observed ethnic-racial socialization measures, and suggest its promising capability to efficiently capture important, observable, transactional familial processes of ethnic-racial socialization that are integral to the development of cultural resilience.
Adviser: Thomas, J. Dishion
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2008;
Ethnic studies
Clinical psychology
Socialization
Adolescents
Ethnic socialization
Observational methods
Racial socialization
Ethnic minority youth
Ethnic-racial socialization
Observed ethnic-racial socialization and early adolescent adjustment
Thesis

Schumacher, William Miller
2012-04-19T00:40:43Z
2012-04-19T00:40:43Z
2011-12
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/12167
xi, 56 p. : ill. (some col.)
To investigate resilience against combat stress, 175 interviews from the Veterans' History Project were coded using the Deployment Risk and Resiliency Inventory and analyzed using the Linguistic Inventory and Word Count. Contrary to hypotheses, higher levels of social support did not predict psychological outcomes, nor did social support differ between wars. Low variance in the social support measure likely contributed to the null results. The amount of combat experiences the veteran discussed did significantly predict psychological outcomes, replicating previous findings. This indicates that the LIWC measures are good indicators of psychological outcome.
Committee in charge: Holly Arrow, Chairperson;
Jennifer Freyd, Member;
Phil Fisher, Member
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, M.S., 2011;
rights_reserved
Clinical psychology
Psychology
Combat stress
Linguistic Inventory and Word Count
Social support
Veterans -- Mental health
Resilience Among Veterans: An Archival Study
Thesis

Bohon, Cara, 1981-
2010-11-30T23:12:52Z
2010-11-30T23:12:52Z
2010-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10848
x, 73 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
The current study measured BOLD brain response using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore the hypothesis that women with bulimia nervosa have a hyper-responsivity of the mesolimbic reward system. Women with bulimia nervosa and healthy controls (N=24) completed an fMRI paradigm involving anticipated and actual receipt of chocolate milkshake and a tasteless control solution. Women with bulimia nervosa showed less activation than healthy controls in the right anterior insula in response to anticipatory food reward and in the left medial orbitofrontal cortex, right posterior insula, right precentral gyms, and right mid dorsal insula in response to consummatory food reward. Covariates related to bulimia diagnosis accounted for some of these effects, but not all. Results suggest that bulimia nervosa may be related to hypo-functioning of the brain reward system rather than hyper-functioning. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.
Committee in charge: Jeffrey Measelle, Chairperson, Psychology;
Jennifer Ablow, Member, Psychology;
Don Tucker, Member, Psychology;
Eric Stice, Member, Not from U of 0;
William Harbaugh, Outside Member, Economics
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2010;
Covariates
Mesolimbic reward systems
Reward abnormalities
Bulimia
Neurosciences
Psychobiology
Clinical psychology
Reward abnormalities among women with bulimia nervosa: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Thesis

Tang, Sharon Shann-Shin
2010-03-12T00:47:26Z
2010-03-12T00:47:26Z
2009-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10263
xv, 103 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
The purpose of the current study was to examine the role of sociocultural factors in posttraumatic stress. The two major aims were to add to current knowledge about why women report higher rates of posttraumatic stress than men and to explore the role of ethnicity in response to trauma. Using an online survey with a college sample (n = 1041) and a community sample (n = 199), the findings confirmed prior research that traumas high in betrayal (e.g., abuse by a close other) are more strongly associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress than traumas lower in betrayal (e.g., natural disaster or abuse by someone not close to the victim). Women also reported higher rates of depression, anxiety, and reexperiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but not avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms. The hypothesis that betrayal trauma would mediate the association between gender and PTSD reexperiencing symptoms was statistically significant although the effect was not substantial. Gender role socialization may also moderate the relationship between gender and PTSD reexperiencing, whereby men with more egalitarian beliefs had lower scores than men with more conservative beliefs.
This study also investigated the rates of traumatic events among Asian and Pacific Islander (API) populations, and cultural correlates of posttraumatic stress. It included one of the few non-clinical samples of API adults from the community in the U.S. as well as a cohort of API students. Notable differences between the younger and older API participants were found in the reporting of various traumatic events. In particular, young API men reported adult sexual assault with surprising frequency at nearly 20% for both close and not close perpetrators which is several times more than the older API men. The influence of participants' concern with loss of face (LOF) on PTSD symptoms was also examined. The prediction that concern with LOF would moderate the effect of traumatic experiences on posttraumatic stress for APIs was not supported although LOF was directly associated with PTSD symptoms. These results add to the growing body of evidence that interpersonal violence and posttraumatic stress are issues that require attention among API populations.
Committee in charge: Jennifer Freyd, Co-Chairperson, Psychology;
Sanjay Srivastava, Co-Chairperson, Psychology;
Jeffrey Measelle, Member, Psychology;
Jocelyn Hollander, Outside Member, Sociology
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2009;
Trauma
Betrayal trauma
Gender
Loss of face
Asian and Pacific Islander
Gender role belief
Ethnicity
Betrayal
Asian
Pacific Islander
Social psychology
Clinical psychology
Ethnic studies
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Social context in traumatic stress: Gender, ethnicity, and betrayal
Gender, ethnicity, and betrayal
Thesis

Klest, Bridget K. (Bridget Kristen)
2011-01-14T17:46:24Z
2011-01-14T17:46:24Z
2010-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10937
xv, 134 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Prior research finds that exposure to traumatic stress negatively impacts physical and mental health, and that the social context in which trauma occurs is an important predictor of symptom development. Eight-hundred thirty-three members of an ethnically diverse longitudinal cohort study in Hawaii were surveyed about their personal exposure to several types of traumatic events, socioeconomic resources, mental health symptoms, and health status. Rates of trauma exposure were predicted to vary as a function of type of trauma and participant gender and ethnicity. In addition, access to social resources and the relational context of trauma were predicted to be associated with symptom reports in this ethnically diverse sample of men and women. Results replicated findings that while men and women are exposed to similar rates of trauma overall, women report more exposure to traumas high in betrayal. while men report exposure to more lower-betrayal traumas. Women also reported more mental health symptoms, and traumas higher in betrayal were generally more predictive of symptoms. Ethnic group variation in trauma exposure and physical and mental health symptoms was also present: ethnic groups with lower socioeconomic status generally reported more trauma exposure and symptoms, although in some cases the pattern of results was not straightforward. This study adds new information about the prevalence of traumatic stress and mental health symptoms across ethnic groups in Hawaii, and how these relate to social context. In addition, this study provides preliminary information on the independent contribution of neglect and household dysfunction to the prediction of symptoms. The relevance of these results can be summarized with three main arguments. First, measures of trauma exposure must include events that occur across relational contexts if they are to be gender equitable and most predictive of symptoms. Second, gender and ethnic group differences in symptoms are largely explained by differential trauma exposure and differential access to educational and economic resources. Third, prevention and intervention efforts must address both trauma exposure and social context, as each is implicated in the presentation of symptoms.
Committee in charge: Jennifer Freyd, Chairperson, Psychology;
Anne Simons, Member, Psychology;
Gerard Saucier, Member, Psychology;
Debra Merskin, Outside Member, Journalism and Communication
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2010;
Trauma
Posttraumatic symptoms
Hawaii
Ethnicity
Social context
Gender
Clinical psychology
Trauma, posttraumatic symptoms, and health in Hawaii: Gender, ethnicity, and social context
Thesis

Oppenheimer, Julia Erica, 1979-
2012-02-06T17:39:31Z
2012-02-06T17:39:31Z
2011-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11930
xix, 176 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Self-efficacy, a proposed vulnerability for anxiety, is thought to be rooted in repeated experiences during children's early years. Few studies have directly examined how these beliefs and behavior patterns are manifested in early childhood despite the importance of infancy and toddlerhood as times of major cognitive, behavioral, and regulatory developments that may play a role in the etiology of psychopathology. Thus a primary goal of this dissertation was describing early self-efficacy, measured as a child's behavioral responses and coping capacity during an impossible task. Factor analyses identified a latent self-efficacy construct based on children's observed task persistence, strategies used during the task, and flexible use of strategies. Through a growth model analytic framework this construct was used to examine individual differences in toddler self-efficacy. A linear growth model demonstrated excellent fit and decreasing self-efficacy over time, as well as significant variability in toddlers' initial responses and behavioral trajectories across an impossible task.
An additional aim of this dissertation was to identify important predictors and concomitants of toddler self-efficacy at 17 months. Using a structural equation model, paths between self-efficacy and maternal psychopathology, maternal behavior, infant temperament and social-emotional correlates were examined. Analysis of theorized predictors revealed greater maternal anxiety at 17 months was predictive of lower self-efficacy and increased social-emotional problems. Greater maternal acceptance, responsiveness, and non-intrusiveness during infancy were associated with greater self-efficacy and lower symptoms at 17 months, demonstrating a longitudinal impact of maternal behavior a year later. However, early self-efficacy demonstrated limited associations with toddlers, social-emotional problems. As such, maternal psychopathology and maternal sensitivity appeared to be important predictors of children's elevated symptoms and self-efficacy even at this early age despite nominal direct associations between children's self-efficacy and symptomatology.
Results demonstrated a multi-faceted construct of self-efficacy in toddlers, encompassing both persistence and coping abilities. This early self-efficacy measurement expanded definitions of efficacy and measured self-efficacy in a younger population than has previously been studied. Early variations in self-efficacy linked to maternal sensitivity during infancy and maternal anxiety indicate the importance of longitudinal associations between risk factors and toddler outcomes for understanding self-efficacy. Clinical implications for assessment and prevention are considered.
Committee in charge: Jeffrey Measelle, Chairperson, Psychology;
Jennifer Ablow, Member, Psychology;
Dare Baldwin, Member, Psychology;
Jane Squires, Outside Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2011;
rights_reserved
Developmental psychology
Clinical psychology
Psychology
Self-efficacy
Toddlers
Anxiety in children
Understanding Early Vulnerabilities for Anxiety: Predictors of Self-Efficacy in Toddlers
Thesis

Lewis, Cara C., 1981-
2012-02-03T23:53:58Z
2012-02-03T23:53:58Z
2011-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11928
xvi, 90 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Empirical support for the efficacy of CBT in treating depression suggests that the majority of clients will respond to this intervention. However, the more nuanced, and clinically relevant, question of "Which clients will respond to CBT for depression?" has been difficult to answer. Research efforts have focused on two different approaches to this question. One approach focuses on trajectories of symptom change within the first weeks of treatment to identify clients who are most likely to achieve response. A second approach looks to pretreatment client variables such as hopelessness and dysfunctional attitudes to identify clients who are more likely to respond. The current study is the first to simultaneously compare these two approaches to the prediction of treatment outcome. The sample consists of 222 clients (65.32% female, 92.79% Caucasian), ages 18 through 64 (M =27.85, SD = 11.28), receiving treatment for mood and anxiety disorders (59% met criteria for comorhid disorders) in a CBT oriented psychology training clinic. Results suggest that the rate of change in depressive symptoms over the first five treatment sessions significantly and consistently predicted outcome over and above the majority of pretreatment variables, except for precontemplation stages of change scores and initial severity of depression and anxiety symptoms. Similarly, rate of change in anxiety symptoms significantly predicted outcome on two of the three measures over and above the majority of pretreatment variables, except for hopelessness and initial severity of anxiety symptoms. Post hoc analyses revealed different predictors of outcome when trajectories of change and pretreatment variables were examined separately. Both rates of change and a number of pretreatment variables predicted outcome. Finally, pretreatment predictors of rate of early symptom change such as a contemplative orientation to change and therapist experience, were identified which may suggest that therapists should target these factors to potentially maximize rapid early symptom change, and in turn outcome. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications regarding methodological approaches to treatment outcome research and treatment planning for adults with comorbidities.
Committee in charge: Anne Simons, Chairperson, Psychology;
Philip Fisher, Member, Psychology;
Hyoun Kim, Member, Not from U of O;
Jane Mendle, Member, Psychology;
Jeff Todahl, Outside Member, Counseling; Psychology and Human Services
en_US
University of Oregon
University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2011;
rights_reserved
Clinical psychology
Psychology
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Treatment outcomes
Depression, Mental
Understanding Patterns of Change: Predictors of Response Profiles for Clients Treated in a CBT Training Clinic
Predictors of Response Profiles for Clients Treated in a CBT Training Clinic
Thesis